Budweiser announces birth of baby clydesdale with first tweet: Horse to be featured in Super Bowl ad

ST. LOUIS — Budweiser launched its first Twitter account on Jan. 27, and made a splash with its first tweet: an image of a newborn member of the "Budweiser Clydesdales Class of 2013."

Using #clydesdales, Budweiser is asking Twitter followers of @Budweiser and Facebook friends to help name the young equine star, who will be seen by an estimated 110+ million viewers next Sunday during a 60-second Super Bowl XLVII TV ad.

“This newest member of the Budweiser Clydesdale family was 7 days old on the day this part of the Super Bowl commercial was filmed,” said Jeff Knapper, general manager of Clydesdale operations. “A star was truly born on Jan. 16.”

The Budweiser Clydesdales will appear in the new 60-second spot, “Brotherhood,” which chronicles the bond a Clydesdale foal shares with its trainer. Partially shot at the company’s Warm Springs Ranch, “Brotherhood” will take the Clydesdales advertising into new territory by providing a new level of access to their early years. This is the Clydesdale’s 23rd Super Bowl spot since first appearing in a big game spot in 1986.

In addition to the baby foal born this month that will appear in the spot, other young Clydesdales, including an 8-month-old and a 2-year-old, will be featured, in addition to a full hitch of eight adult horses.

Budweiser’s Twitter channel debuted after the social media platform introduced age verification, allowing the beer to restrict its tweets to users 21 years and older.

Valentine’s Day sales to increase 3.2%, report finds

LOS ANGELES — Consumers expect to spend slightly more on Valentine’s Day merchandise this year than last year, according to a report by market research firm IBISWorld.

The report forecasts spending of $134.08 per person, compared with last year’s $133.99. Total revenue for the holiday is expected to grow by 3.2%, to $20.8 billion, despite incomes and consumer sentiments remaining below what they were before the recession.

"Although overall spending will increase slightly, consumers are still watching their wallets, and spending on expensive items will suffer as a consequence," IBISWorld industry analyst Lauren Setar said. "Due to these trends, Valentine’s Day purchases are expected to trend toward conventional gifts, giving candy and flowers an edge this year."

In terms of particular product categories, spending on greeting cards is expected to increase 0.4% from 2012 to $866 million; candy sales are expected to increase by 4.3% to $2.89 billion; jewelry sales will increase by 2.2% to $1.61 billion; flower sales will increase by 5.7% to $1.78 billion; dining out will increase by 2.9% to $9.95 billion; clothing and lingerie sales will increase by 1.8% to $1.26 billion.

Popchips to launch Katy Perry-inspired flavor

SAN FRANCISCO — Pop singer Katy Perry will leave her mark on the newest flavor from snack brand Popchips, the company said Friday.

Popchips said it would launch Katy’s Kettle Corn, described as sweet and salty, at Target stores this month. Perry joined the company in July 2012 as an investor and creative partner and expressed an interest in creating a signature flavor of the snack.

"Popchips had never ventured into sweet territory before, but I wanted to add my personal touch when creating a flavor," Perry said. "So I rallied behind the idea of kettle corn. When I snack, I crave a little bit of sweet and a little bit of salt, but I had yet to find a healthier way to satisfy those cravings."

The packaging will feature a mix of pink and purple colors and a spotlight to the heart over the "i" in the Popchips logo, the company said.

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